Shoe-tree package



Filed Aug. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l TOR 'ATTORNE Sept. 12, 1933. s, A, EDDIN S SHOE THEE PACKAGE Filed Aug. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

INVENTQR 5M1 BY ATTORNE Patented Sept. 12, 1933 1,926,272 H sHoaTR E PACKAGE- Sextus A. Eddins, Wollaston, Mass, assignor, by direct and mcsne assignments, to O. A. Miller Treeing Machine Company, Portland, Maine,

a corporation of Maine Application Augustl, 1930. Serial No. 472,323

,8Claims. (Cl. 206-44) This invention relates to shoe trees, forms, and similar devices designed to assist in preserving the shape of a shoe, such articles being herein-- after referred to as shoe trees. The invention 5 is more especially concerned with packages for shoe trees. 7 It is the chief object of the invention to devise a package for protecting shoe trees during shipment and for attractively displaying shoe trees for sale. The nature oi the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

- In the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe tree packageembcdying features of this invention and illustrating one method of displaying the trees; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a showing the trees enclosed in a box;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, with parts broken away, showing the preferred mounting of a shoe tree on the card or support illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2';- and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a shoe tree of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

package Referring first to Figs. 3 and l it will be observed that the particular shoe tree there shown comprises a form 2 made of relatively thin but firm material, such as fibre board, sheet metal, celluloid, or the like. This form is molded to the shape of the toe and vamp portion of a shoe andis designed to be inserted in the shoe to support these parts of the upper to hold them in a smooth and substantially unwrinkled condition. This member forms the main body of the shoe tree. Cooperating with this member is a skeleton frame which may take any one of several forms but which, in this instance, includes a rearwardly extending tongue 3, the end portion of which preferably is rolled over to form an end piece 4. Usually this tongue is made of resilient strip metal.

It is a common practice to finish the outer surface of the tree 2 in an attractive manner by ornamenting this surface in various ways, and sometimes also to plate and polish a part or all of the frame. It is desirable, therefore, to pack these shoe trees for shipment in such a manner that the finished surfaces will not be marred. Both for this purpose, and also in order to facilitate the display of the shoe trees for sale, a pair of trees is mounted on a card or equivalent supbrought up through the notch '7', and drawn port 5 in such a manner that they will be held and formingnotch'es 7--7 in the edges of the card in alinement, respectively, with theslots 6--6. Each of these notches and slots are made only slightly wider than the tongue 3 so that the tongue will fit snugly between the walls of the slot, and each slot is made long enough to permit the" free passage of the end piece 4 through it. V 1 r Inmounting a shoe tree on the card the end piece 4 is slipped downthrough the slot 6, is

backwardly so that the extremity 8 of the tongue 3 will rest on the portion of the card between the slot 6 and notch- '7. Preferably the two trees of a pair are mounted on a single card, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be clear from an inspection of this figure that each tree is held against any substantial swinging movement relatively to the card in a direction parallel to the plane of the card by the engagement of the tongue 3 with the wall-of the slot 6 through which it extends. 8 It will also be evident from an inspection of Fig. 2 that since the end piece 4 bears on one side of the card while the tongue 6 engages the opposite side, the tree cannot swing away from the card toany substantial degree. Each tree, therefore,'is held in approximately a predetermined relationship to the card, and this is true regardless of the position of the card;

In shipping the trees each pair of trees preferably ismounted on a card, substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 1, and each card with a pair of trees on it is enclosed in a box, shown in Fig. 2. The box may be of the ordinary cardboardvariety, but preferably has a very shallow cover 9 in which the card 5 fits snugly, and the cover is designed to fit inside the body 10 of the box. A spacer 12, which may conveniently consist of a cardboard collar, is located inside the box and limits the extent to which the cover 5 can be'moved into the body 10 toward the bottom of the box. Preferably the card 5 fits in the cover with sufiicient'tightness to prevent it from dropping out even if the box should be inverted.

This arrangement not'only effectually protects the shoe trees during shipment and makes it unnecessary to use tissue paper, packing felt, or other soft'material to protect the finished surfaces of the trees, but it also provides for the I convenientand attractive display of the trees for sale. For this purpose it is simply necessary to take the body 10 of the box off the cover 9, invert the box, and place the cover in it in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the cover resting on the spacer 12. Usually the box is attractively covered, and the card 5 is appropriately ornamented so that the entire package when arranged as shown in Fig. 1 presents a pleasing appearance. When a sale is made the package can quickly be restored to the condition shown in Fig. 2 and the box wrapped.

The invention thus provides a package which affords ample and effective protection for the shoe trees, saves labor in packing them for shipment, and facilitates the attractive display of the trees for sale.

While I have herein shown and described'a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing fromthe spirit or scope thereof. v 7

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. An article of the character described, comprising a card having an aperture therethrough and a shoe tree including a tongue projecting rearwardly and provided with a curved end piece, said tongue extending through said aperture and fitting between the walls thereof, and said end piece bearing on said card adjacent to said aperture, said tongue and card cooperating to hold said tree in an approximately predetermined position on said card.

2. An article or" the character described, comprising a card having an aperture therethrough and a notch in the edge of said card in alinement with said aperture, anda shoe tree includ-' ing a tongue projecting rearwardlyand provided with a curved end piece, said tongue extending through said aperture and said end piece extending through said notch and bearing on said card adjacent to said notch, said tongue and card cooperating to hold said tree in'an approximately predetermined position on said card.

3. An, article of the character described, comprising a card having an aperture therethrough and a notch in the edge of saidcard in alinement with said aperture, and a shoe tree including a tongue projecting rearwardly and provided with a curved end piece, said tongue extending through said aperture and said end piece extending through said notch and bearing on said card adjacent to said notch, a box including a cover in which said card isadapted to fit, and a spacer in said box for supporting the cover in a predetermined position.

4. An article of the character described, comprising a card having a main body portion with anaperture therethrough, and a shoe tree including a tongue projecting rearwardly' therefrom and extending-through said aperture, said tongue having parts engaging opposite faces of the card at points other than at the aperture, thereby to hold said tree in approximately a predetermined position on said card.

5. Anarticle of the character described, comprising a card having an aperture therein, and a shoe tree including a tongue projecting rearwardly through said aperture, said tongue having parts engaging both the upper and lower surfaces of the card at points other than at the card in an approximately predetermined rela- .tionship to each other and to the card, and. a

box for enclosing said card with the trees mounted thereon in said relationship, said box having means to support the card spaced from the bottom of the box in a position to display said trees while said relationship is maintained undisturbed. I

7. An article of the character described coniprising a card having an aperture therein, and a shoe tree mounted on said card with its bot tom resting on the card, said tree including a tongueprojecting rearwardly through said aperture and engaged directly with th e upper and lower surfaces of the card at points other than at the aperture to hold the tree in a definite position thereon.

8. An article of the character described comprising a card having a main body portion provided with an aperture therethrough, and a shoe tree mounted on said card with its bottom ,resting on said body portion, said tree including a SEXTUS A. EDDINS. f

tongue projecting rearwardly through said ap 

